2011-2012 Brown University Application Thread

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doctorSOX said:
I'm in the same boat. I called them late last week and asked about this and they said this doesn't mean we're rejected or on any sort of hold. They gave the usual "run-around" about the admissions committee being very busy and reading every application closely. She did say that they welcome substantial updates or letters of continued interest in Brown.
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so they are okay with letters of interest/updates pre-interview? do you know how they prefer to receive them? (email, letter ,etc.)?
 
velleityx said:
so they are okay with letters of interest/updates pre-interview? do you know how they prefer to receive them? (email, letter ,etc.)?
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Yeah, that was my take on it at least. She told me emailing them directly to admissions would be fine.
 
Recibi el rechazo en mi correo electronico. Que triste.
 
doctorSOX said:
Yeah, that was my take on it at least. She told me emailing them directly to admissions would be fine.
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but I wonder how sending in more information will do anything though. At this point they've definitely seen our stuff. So unless we've done anything substantial, like publish a paper or win some big prize, I doubt sending in anything will help. Does anyone know the procedure that they take to reevaluate our files? Do they periodically come back to our file and look at it? Or do they just hold it and look at it once at some later time.
 
Any one interviewing tomorrow want to share a hotel? pm me
 
To everyone who's been accepted, congrats! I'm a first year here and love it. As I'm sure you all know, it's crucial to have a good class dynamic wherever you end up and my classmates are fantastic. It's never difficult to find a study group and everyone chips in in making study guides for each exam. There is also of course a world outside of class and we all enjoy it as much as we can. Aside from that, the professors and administrators are supportive, always looking for feedback and just are generally fun to converse with. There are plenty of extracurriculars to get involved in if you want but no pressure. The doctoring course is a really nice break from dry academics; the mentoring component is a great opportunity to put your interviewing and physical exam skills to good use. Providence is also a very chill city, thanks in part to Brown undergrad and RISD.

If I can help with any questions, let me know. There's an exam coming up soon but I'll try to respond when I get a chance.

Once again congrats and to those still waiting, I wish you the best of luck! Again, feel free to ask questions!
 
Anyone know when brown sends out additional interview invites? Do they do so regularly? Any insight on the process would be helpful, as I have been complete for like 11 weeks now!

Good luck to everyone! :luck:
 
Iorek Byrnison said:
To everyone who's been accepted, congrats! I'm a first year here and love it. As I'm sure you all know, it's crucial to have a good class dynamic wherever you end up and my classmates are fantastic. It's never difficult to find a study group and everyone chips in in making study guides for each exam. There is also of course a world outside of class and we all enjoy it as much as we can. Aside from that, the professors and administrators are supportive, always looking for feedback and just are generally fun to converse with. There are plenty of extracurriculars to get involved in if you want but no pressure. The doctoring course is a really nice break from dry academics; the mentoring component is a great opportunity to put your interviewing and physical exam skills to good use. Providence is also a very chill city, thanks in part to Brown undergrad and RISD.

If I can help with any questions, let me know. There's an exam coming up soon but I'll try to respond when I get a chance.

Once again congrats and to those still waiting, I wish you the best of luck! Again, feel free to ask questions!
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interviewing there in january...

what sort of questions do they ask? besides explain this activity on AMCAS, why medicine, why brown...

ethicals? any toughies?
 
rofl said:
interviewing there in january...

what sort of questions do they ask? besides explain this activity on AMCAS, why medicine, why brown...

ethicals? any toughies?
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Glad you asked. They're actually going to take you to the sim center down the street and have you run a cardiac arrest from start to finish and evaluate your worthiness based on the results... (Oddly enough, you'll have the chance to do this as part of a team about a month and a half into school).

Joking aside, the interview is really going to depend on whoever is interviewing you. I'm fairly certain that Barbara and Melissa try their best to match you up with interviewers who would be able to talk with you along the same general lines as your interests and passions (for example, I was an EMT as an undergrad and so one of my interviewers was an EM doc). Its helpful because you can dive into specifics on projects and activities and the interviewer isn't 20 paces behind you trying to catch up. Aside from that, just stay current on the news because a lot of docs in general like to ask something akin to "what to you think the future of medicine will be like?" Politics aside, remember that you're exited to go into this field for a reason and just as with patient outcomes, you always hope for the best.

I don't remember getting any ethical questions though, my Brown interview was far more of a conversation than any of my interviews at other schools (the interviewers were far less scripted) so maybe it was slipped in there subtlety and I just didn't notice. I'm sure you know the deal with ethics questions though; they're looking for a thought process so even if you've written a PhD thesis on an ethics question and came to a definitive answer, take them through your thoughts and experiences that lead you to arrive at that point after considering the alternatives.

Best of luck in January!
 
You'll really enjoy your interview day. They make it a point to make you feel special and act as if they have known you for years. Expect everyone to know random facts about you based on reading your application and lots of hugs.

Interview experience wise so far- Brown has been the warmest interview I have had.
 
AwkInterview said:
You'll really enjoy your interview day. They make it a point to make you feel special and act as if they have known you for years. Expect everyone to know random facts about you based on reading your application and lots of hugs.

Interview experience wise so far- Brown has been the warmest interview I have had.
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Wow that is some great feedback!
 
AwkInterview said:
You'll really enjoy your interview day. They make it a point to make you feel special and act as if they have known you for years. Expect everyone to know random facts about you based on reading your application and lots of hugs.

Interview experience wise so far- Brown has been the warmest interview I have had.
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Well said.

You might expect this kind of thing during the admissions process but Barbara in particular is always like that; she's just an authentic and sincerely caring person and pretty much beloved by everyone at the school.

The admissions crew in general is full of good people. Once our rooftop patio is finished, one of the upper admins who has a substantial share in a popular local beer company has offered to host a low-key shindig up there.
 
Has anyone who has interviewed this cycle heard interviewed/accepted stats. I know US News says they interviewed about 264 and accepted 200 for one of the recent cycles, but I'm wondering if anyone has heard anything else regarding MD only applicants. Thanks!
 
does anyone know how many more interview dates are left at brown? i'm assuming since they only interview some 200 people there must not be many left.
 
i'm finding it a little hard to find a lot of information on brown, including by using their website.

does anyone have any opinions as to what makes Brown a unique or somewhat different med school?
 
Thought you guys and gals might appreciate this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZa-oaEQf8k&feature=share

If the link goes dead, just search youtube for "The Doctor's Out Tonight." The first and second years had a variety show last night. We're considering having a low-key performance gathering when you peoples have second look so if you have any thoughts on the matter, yea or nea, feel free to post about it!




Also to answer your question ialwayslose, based on my own interviewing experience, I was drawn to Brown based on the scholarly concentrations (and the summer funding that often comes with it), the large catchment zone, and the faculty (lots of personal attention). Rhode Island is also essentially a city state so the chance to work on state health policy also really appealed to me. I'm also very big on lifestyle; I love Providence. I grew up near a major metropolitan area and then went to college in a mostly rural area so I wanted something with a solid downtown, good restaurants, a nice cultural scene, not super hectic, and simultaneously close to beaches and some good hiking spots in the northeast. It also doesn't hurt that the cost of living in RI is pretty low (compared to the rest of the northeast) so finances are not a constant burden.

At the end of the day though (to borrow from Star Fox) trust your instincts. Your interview day and second look should tell you a lot about a school. Get a feel for class dynamics, even during the interview day, since certain schools of course tend to attract certain types of students (sterotypes can be outdated but they exist for a reason). Class dynamics will honesty be a huge part of wherever you go; you really can't get through this experience entirely on your own no matter how independent you are.

If anyone is curious about anything in particular, just ask away!
 
ialwayslose said:
i'm finding it a little hard to find a lot of information on brown, including by using their website.

does anyone have any opinions as to what makes Brown a unique or somewhat different med school?
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Reasons why Brown is ****ing awesome:

The word "****" was used in conversation during my interview multiple times - I didn't feel pressured to bull**** during my interview.

I wear whatever I want. Some schools (I can think of 2 off the top of my head) make guys wear a shirt and tie to class. Really? I mean, really? Are students there so clueless, the administration doesn't trust them to know when to dress up?

The atmosphere here is really open and anything goes. How many schools do you know will fully fund you to go to Tibet to meditate for the summer?

Check out the link to the kick-ass music video above. Name another school that has anything that comes close to that.

People (like myself and my roommate) turned down admission to schools that are "better ranked" according to News and World report.

With the money from Warren Alpert, the financial aid here is the best I've seen.

There's a good number of post-bacs here - people who are older and wiser and have their priorties in order.

The new building is awesome with lots of natural lighting.
​
 
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Goddamn censorship on SDN. You won't find that bull**** here.
 
rejected just now.... no e-mail sent yet but decision on status page....oh well

EDIT: complete early Sept
 
My file is still in process. I was complete late August. I would love an invite here!
 
Rejected today as well...no big surprise here though
 
Rejected today too... Brown is massacring that applicant pool today.
 
I made it through the last rejection spree and thought I had a chance. Apparently not. Reeeeeeejected.
 
Avoided the last massacre, but still in process for the past 4 months.
 
Has anyone submitted an update post-interview? I can't remember if they said anything about if/how to do this.
 
GuineaPig12 said:
Has anyone submitted an update post-interview? I can't remember if they said anything about if/how to do this.
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They said email to their admissions address was fine a was physical mail.
 
Wow...unlucky week... Best of luck to those of you waiting to hear from other schools. For those still waiting or who are post interview, a polite and knowledgeable (you actually put in the effort to get to know about the school from sources outside their website) letter re-asserting your interest is rarely a bad thing.

Also, for those of you who applied late, don't freak out too much. Barbara and the rest of admissions do their best to pull out good candidates throughout the process (I was a late October complete).

To anyone interviewing tomorrow, see you at lunch!
 
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Iorek Byrnison said:
Wow...unlucky week... Best of luck to those of you waiting to hear from other schools. For those still waiting or who are post interview, a polite and knowledgeable (you actually put in the effort to get to know about the school from sources outside their website) letter re-asserting your interest is rarely a bad thing.

Also, for those of you who applied late, don't freak out too much. Barbara and the rest of admissions do their best to pull out good candidates throughout the process (I was a late October complete).

To anyone interviewing tomorrow, see you at lunch!
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How about if you haven't even turned in the secondary yet? I really want to apply but have not been able to come up with the money. I could scrape it together this month, but do you think there is any point in turning in an app this late in the game?
 
ddb said:
How about if you haven't even turned in the secondary yet? I really want to apply but have not been able to come up with the money. I could scrape it together this month, but do you think there is any point in turning in an app this late in the game?
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Some schools fill all their available seats by December and you're applying for a waitlist spot at best. But even though chances are slim, you should do it anyways. Realize that in the context of medical education, a few hundred bucks is chum change. And this is coming from someone who is on a lot of need-based aid.
 
ddb said:
How about if you haven't even turned in the secondary yet? I really want to apply but have not been able to come up with the money. I could scrape it together this month, but do you think there is any point in turning in an app this late in the game?
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Hmmm... I was just talking with someone in admissions the other day who was assuring me that they take a thorough look through every application, even if it arrives minutes before the final deadline. This was someone who's fairly invested in the process and it was an informal conversation so I know they were being completely sincere.

That said, there's a reason why late applicants are reputed to have a difficult time just in the med school admissions process in general. From the schools perspective, it could mean that you either A) are scrambling with a process that they see as deserving a lot of time and attention given the gravity of medicine and/or B) that you aren't very interested in them and therefore less likely to matriculate if given an acceptance

I completely understand the need to whittle down the number of secondaries you send out, especially once the costs start racking up. I made the same decision when I decided not to apply to schools in the south or mid-west (had nothing to do with my perception of quality of course, I just have a major regional preference for the northeast). That said, if you shell out the amount for a secondary now, you are competing against very strong applicants who've also demonstrated their commitment from the start.

It also depends on your hook. If you have something about your app that's really tantalizing, any school is of course more likely to bite, even if you get in the game later than others. I love Brown in large part because unlike my experiences at other schools during interviews and second looks, I have never felt like a baseball card, accepted purely on the basis of my stats and CV. Still, it never hurts to have something that helps you jump off the page when admissions reps are reviewing your application.


With all that said, med school apps are always a gamble and the worst part is you don't even really know the odds (acceptance percentages are an awful way to measure your chances since you have no idea what class make-up an admissions committee is looking for year to year). I'd say apply if you truly would love to come here and if you feel you're a good candidate. Otherwise, save your money for either traveling to second looks or going through the application process next year.
 
Brown2015 said:
Some schools fill all their available seats by December and you're applying for a waitlist spot at best. But even though chances are slim, you should do it anyways. Realize that in the context of medical education, a few hundred bucks is chum change. And this is coming from someone who is on a lot of need-based aid.
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Seconded. Everyone in this forum knows how painful the med school applications process is. Of course, its completely worthwhile when you get into a school you know you'll love. Also, the rumors are true, Brown has spiffy need based aid (due in great part to fantastic alumni).
 
Hey Iorek, do you know if Brown's receptive to letters telling them about our interest in the school? I just interviewed down there and was very impressed with it, and it really is on the top of my list now in spite of its slightly lower ranking compared to some of the other schools I'm interviewing at. Do you think it's a bad idea to send a letter telling them that?
 
TenderRender said:
Hey Iorek, do you know if Brown's receptive to letters telling them about our interest in the school? I just interviewed down there and was very impressed with it, and it really is on the top of my list now in spite of its slightly lower ranking compared to some of the other schools I'm interviewing at. Do you think it's a bad idea to send a letter telling them that?
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Yah, of course! Barbara would likely be the best person to send them directly to (either by physical mail or email). The process is as (if not much more) hectic for the admissions staff as it is for everyone applying but I remember when I sent mine, she was prompt to send a kind email reply. I'm guessing you already sent out your interviewer thank you letters? Regardless, a well crafted interest letter is never going to hurt you so long as you don't send a thousand of them. Some schools like to see them as much as once a month, other schools you only really need to send one. I only sent out my thank you letters but I really took the time to make sure they conveyed the exact sentiment I wanted and they were fairly lengthy (filled a page and I think I had to fiddle with the margins). This goes without saying but just in case, be sure to send thank you letters to people aside from your interviewers (admissions admins, tour guides, etc). A lot of people put hard work into making sure your interview day goes smoothly.

I'm guessing you know this but as a general rule of thumb that I agree with, I was always told to avoid mentioning other schools in general and deffinately not to make any specific comparisons in interest letters. They know you're a competitive candidate and have therefore been interviewing at several top institutions around the country. Just be authentic and as detailed as possible with what draws you here. In my interest letters I tended to talk about the students I met and the inspiration I drew from their accomplishments. Med schools are rightfully proud of their students and since medicine is a collaborative enterprise, its deeply encouraging to realize how talented and just plain nice your potential future peers are.

I also had to make the choice of choosing between several well ranked institutions, including ones higher ranked than Brown in U.S. News and while outside of second look you don't really talk about the other med schools you've been accepted to, I know several classmates who made similar choices. After the past few months here, I'm pretty thrilled that I made the right choice. Everyone has their own priorities; my advice is to find a school with happy students since despite the masochism that drives us all into medicine, you really should be able to enjoy this experience (and try to see if you can talk with 3rd and 4th years especially since a lot of second looks only really give you the chance to interact with 1st and 2nd year students).


Also, I really advise anyone reading this to take a thorough look at the match list for each school you're interviewing at or considering an acceptance from. Some schools post theirs online and here is Brown's 2011 list (http://brown.edu/academics/medical/about/match). You used to be able to access the list going several years back but since they completely redid the website, I'm guessing they didn't transfer over the older ones (I'll see if I can dig them up later because they really show consistently excellent matches year to year). If accepted, I would call the admissions office to see if they can send you an excel file with the older matches if you want to see them while making your school choice.

Personally I think a match list is a much more accurate measure of a school's quality than the U.S. News rankings because the formulas used to create rankings put far more emphasis on funding mechanisms than anything I'm comfortable with (translation: easily manipulated by shifting numbers around on an institutional balance sheet). That's just a personal preference though.
 
II today! scheduled for Feb. 3
here's my stats:
OOS 3.3, 38Q
complete 8/20
 
am i being super paranoid or is this something new that popped up on the status page today? does everyone see this?

"Dear Applicant to the Class of 2016, You may view the decision on your application online beginning the evening of December 13, 2011.
To do so, click on Fall 2012 to view your decision."


Does this mean they are done with interview invites for the cycle and we are just waiting to be rejected via status?
 
allinblue said:
am i being super paranoid or is this something new that popped up on the status page today? does everyone see this?

"Dear Applicant to the Class of 2016, You may view the decision on your application online beginning the evening of December 13, 2011.
To do so, click on Fall 2012 to view your decision."


Does this mean they are done with interview invites for the cycle and we are just waiting to be rejected via status?
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I have the same thing
 
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